Pulp Apocalypse

Number of Players: 3
Number of Sessions: 2
Total Playing Time: 4 hours
Number of Starting Coins: 25
Number of Refreshment Coins: 5

Our game preparation looked like this:

Story Element: Post-Apocalyptic Setting.

Story Element: No spaceships.

Story Element: Some household androids went berserk and turned on humans.

Story Element: No aliens.

Story Element: Food and water are scarce.

Rules Gimmick: Dice used against a Component during a Complication are always added to the Opposing Dice Pool.

Story Element: Mutants exist.

Story Element: Modern firearms exist but modern technology (like cell phones) have been lost.

SCENE 1
The location is a lonely street littered with rubble in a ruined city at dusk. A man in a long black leather duster with dark sunglasses is walking down the street.

A woman walks up to him and asks him if he’s the one she’s supposed to meet. He quickly pulls out a revolver and puts it to her head. He wants to see if she’ll sweat under the pressure or if she’s an android sent to kill him.

The woman ducks under the revolver and dives behind a large dumpster. A vicious mutant dog comes out of a building behind her and crouches for an attack.

The woman backs into the street. The man levels his revolver at her. The mutant dog jumps for her throat, but the man blows the hell out of the dog in mid-leap.

The man lowers his gun and looks to the woman. “Yeah, I’m your man. Let’s get out of here. The street’s no place for a lady,” he says.

SCENE 2
The location is a ruined diner at midnight. The man, Lee Edwards, and the woman, Alinda, are sitting and drinking coffee. In the background, a young couple are sitting, drinking coffee, and talking.

Alinda tells Lee that the leader of her community, Chief Romano, went out looking for food a couple of days ago. He never returned. She tells Lee that the community wants to hire him to find the Chief.

Lee says he’ll take the job “if the price is right.”

Alinda offers Lee her horse, but he tells her a horse is just another mouth to feed. He wants a share of the food that Chief Romano was after. Alinda agrees to it.

The scene fades to black.

SCENE 3
The location is the street in front of the abandoned warehouse that Chief Romano was looking for food in. It’s dawn. Lee Edwards is standing in front of the building.

Lee looks both ways but the street is clear. He walks up to the warehouse door and kicks it in with his size 13 snakeskin boot.

Alinda comes running around the corner of the building and tells Lee that she’s coming with him. Lee argues with her, then shoves her to the ground as he sees movement out of the corner of his eye.

A bullet whizzes by Lee’s head. Lee sees a man running through the warehouse.

Lee shoots the man, wounding him. Lee follows the blood trail and traps the man between the wall and rows of crates. The shooter is the young man from the diner!

SCENE 4
The location is the interior of the warehouse a few moments after Lee Edwards found the shooter. Lee Edwards is facing the shooter.

Alinda runs up and stops beside Lee. Alinda is shocked and asks the shooter, Richard, why he is shooting at them.

“The Reverend. The Reverend’s going to take it all and I’ll be right there with him. I’ve been Chosen,” says Richard proudly.

SCENE 5
The location is the interior of the warehouse a few moments after Lee Edwards and Alinda found Richard, the shooter. Lee and Alinda are still facing Richard.

A woman wearing a gas mask sneaks up behind Lee and Alinda. She throws a canister of tear gas in front of Lee.

Lee spins around and tackles the woman wearing the gas mask, pinning her arms to the ground.

Richard pistol whips Alinda, knocking her out.

Tears stream down Richard’s face, but the Reverend’s conditioning program helps him resist the effects of the gas. Richard points the gun at Lee’s back as he cocks the hammer. “I’d suggest you get off my wife.”

SCENE 6
The location is just outside the city a few hours later. Richard and his wife Alexandria are standing while they wait for the Reverend. Lee and Alinda are sitting on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs.

Lee sits up as three figures approach, the bright sun behind them hiding their faces.

A young man and woman step aside as a large man walks between them. He smiles down at Alinda.

Alinda gasps. “Chief Romano! You’re alive!”

The large man smiles sweetly at her. “That’s the Reverend to you, young lady. Of course I’m alive. Who else will lead my Chosen to claim the Promised Land tonight?”

Alinda spits at Chief Romano, the Reverend. “You bastard!”

The Reverend just laughs at her. “May God have mercy on your wretched souls, lest you spend eternity burning in the very depths of Hell when you’re crucified in front of the Chosen Ones tonight!”

Lee looks the Reverend straight in the eye. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

The Reverend laughs then turns to Richard and Alexandria. “Get them up.”

Richard grabs Lee and roughly stands him up as Alexandria reaches for Alinda.

Lee leans back and slams his shoulder into Richard, knocking him off balance. Richard raises his gun in front of him, but Lee kicks it out of his hand.

Alinda kicks out at Alexandria and knocks her to the ground. Alinda leaps to her feet and runs away.

The Reverend tackles Lee and knocks him out with a solid right to the jaw. “Get that bitch!”

SCENE 7
The location is a small cluster of trees with a clearing just a little while later. Alinda is standing behind a tree, holding a large dead tree branch. Alexandria and Richard are approaching the trees slowly, their guns raised before them.

Richard hears a twig break somewhere off in the distance. He walks right past the tree Alinda is hiding behind.

Alinda swings the branch down, knocking the gun from his hand. Richard cries out in pain even as the branch crushes his temple, shattering his skull. Richard’s limp body falls to the ground.

Suddenly, Richard jumps up and shoves Alinda to the ground. Alinda’s shot goes wide and hits Alexandria in the shoulder, spinning her to the ground. Richard picks up the tree branch and lifts it over his head, preparing to split Alinda’s skull open. Richard’s dead body tumbles backward as Alinda fires three shots into his chest.

Alinda slowly gets up and walks over to Alexandria.

Alexandria looks up at Alinda, the haze of shock and pain in her eyes. “You shot me, you bitch!”

Alinda’s foot connects squarely with Alexandria’s jaw, knocking her out cold. Alinda puts Richard’s gun into her waistband, then takes off her leather belt and ties Alexandria’s hands behind her back. Alinda picks up Alexandria’s gun and chambers a bullet. “I think it’s time we pay the Reverend a little visit,” says Alinda to the gun.

SCENE 8
The location is an abandoned auditorium deep within the ruined city late at night. The Reverend is standing on the stage, whipping a horde of his Chosen into a frenzy. Lee Edwards is tied to a cross behind the Reverend. The captured members of Alinda’s community are in wooden cages on both sides of Lee.

“I have delivered you unto the Promised Land,” shouts the Reverend. The cheers of his Chosen erupt.

The Reverend lifts a torch over his head. “Let us purify the spirit of this Unbeliever with the Flames of Righeousness!” Again, the cheers of his Chosen erupt.

The Reverend turns to Lee. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

Lee smiles at the Reverend. “I’ll save you a nice warm spot in Hell.”

A woman right in front of the stage pushes a hat off her head. Alinda pulls a gun out from under her overcoat. “Oh, Reverend.”

The Reverend’s eyes widen as he hears Alinda’s voice. Slowly, he turns to face her.

“Nobody calls me a bitch,” says Alinda as she pulls the trigger.

Blood splatters Lee as the Reverend falls backwards, a bullet hole in his forehead.

Lee smiles down at Alinda. “What took you so long?”

Alinda shoots the ropes binding Lee’s hands then quickly climbs up on the stage. “I thought you were supposed to be the hero.”

Lee just smiles as he finishes untying his legs.

A young woman runs toward Alinda, screaming like a banshee. “You killed the Reverend! You killed him!”

Alinda calmly puts a bullet in her head.

“I’m your leader now,” shouts Alinda to the gathered crowd. “Anybody have a problem with that?”